


All the World's a Stage

by MelodyoftheVoid



Series: The More Things Change [2]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Gen, Possession, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 01:07:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21828829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelodyoftheVoid/pseuds/MelodyoftheVoid
Summary: Gaz gets some help, and some answers.
Series: The More Things Change [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571875
Comments: 7
Kudos: 41





	1. Help

**Author's Note:**

> Okay part 2! I'm excited to keep this going. Here's where the bulk of the 'plot' kicks in.

At this point, Gaz was at her wit’s end. That thing, whatever it was, seemed to be in charge of Dib’s body more often than not, an awful ice blue in place of the amber eyes she shared with him. Gaz didn’t know how Dib could stand this feeling, of knowing that some danger sat right in plain sight. That this danger managed to deceive everyone else and saying anything would land him with in the Crazy House. But instead of Zim, now the world was oblivious to the fact that her brother wasn’t himself. She needed more information to deal with this. She needed help.

On the rare night that ‘Dib’ left to go fight Zim, Gaz found her opportunity. Of all the changes that ‘Dib’ made over the last month the password to his stupid laptop was not one of them. MothmanRulez still caused her to chuckle as she pulled up the Swollen Eye Network’s forums. If any way to get her brother back existed, these basement dwellers surely knew the answer. She made her plea.

_AgentMothman: Now you dweebs listen up. This is AgentMothman’s sister; I’m only trying to contact you as a last resort. About a month ago he went to some house in our area and I’m pretty sure he got himself possessed. Something with blue eyes. I want him back so unless you want me to personally send you to a nightmare dimension, I suggest offering some solutions._

Gaz waited anxiously for a response that wasn’t _“Didn’t we ban your account ages ago?”_ as precious time ticked by. It was almost seven, and almost all of Zim’s latest schemes allowed Dib home by eight so Zim could “Better plan for my NEXT SCHEME TO CONQUER YOUR EARTH”. In all honesty she hoped that tonight was the exception. Gaz was knocked out of her reverie by an alert on the laptop, someone had responded! Gaz tried to contain herself as she scanned the response. 

_AgentBard420: I warned the kid that ghost was dangerous. It’s some sort of dealmaker, promising the deepest desires of those who talk to it then ruining their life. Sort of a genie type. If AgentMothman decides to call off the deal, then it has to return to its original location where you could exorcise it. Try to trap it in some salt to prevent his body from leaving. Best of luck :)_

Regardless of the unnerving emoticon face, this guy actually gave her some decent advice. Gaz deleted the thread, then returned the laptop to its usual place on Dib’s desk as she crept out of the room. All she had to do now was get Dib to see that this ghost, at least she hoped it was just a ghost, wouldn’t help him in the long run. If Gaz Membrane had one skill, making her idiot brother take care of himself for once wasn’t it but by god she could try. 

Dib finally rolled into the house at eight thirty, a touch later than usual. If the handful of scorch marks on his coat were any indication, Zim was having one of his bad days and took it out on his favorite frenemy/punching bag. Gaz’s previous gung-ho attitude faded slightly, could she really try and convince her brother that he was being possessed by some dealmaker that when he looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over? But when had Dib’s physical state ever prevented her from knocking some sense into him? 

With that attitude in mind, she hesitantly approached his bedroom, steeling herself for what she had to do. She knocked on the door, feeling more anxious than she’d been in a while. Dib opened the door after what felt like an eternity, wiped but looking a bit better, and still with those blue irises that haunted her every waking moment.

“Can we talk?” Gaz kept her eyes on her handheld to keep from making eye contact.

“Sure, is everything okay Gaz? You seem worried…” The concern in his voice only served to tick her off further. How dare this ghost or whatever it was pretend to care about her, about her brother. She decided then and there that tact wasn’t an option at this point. Besides, the Professor wouldn’t come home until later in the week so the neighbors couldn’t complain about the inevitable screaming.

“Alright cut the act. I’m onto your little game you knock-off poltergeist. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice all the weird nonsense happening, that you’ve been acting like an entirely different person? Please.” 

Dib took a step back, looking affronted. “Gaz come on this isn’t funny. I know that I wasn’t a great brother before. I should’ve cared more about you, and less about how I’d prove everyone right. But I can start now, just drop this okay? I promise I’m not ‘possessed’ Gaz.”

“SHUT UP!” Gaz shook with rage. “My brother would never admit that he messed up, let alone imply that his stupid hunts for bigfeet or Zim didn’t matter. And did you think I couldn’t see YOUR EYES? DIB’S EYES ARE NOT BLUE!” 

At that, Dib’s posture changed. Gone was the slight insecurity, the pleading look for acceptance. He straightened up to his full height, ran a hand through his hair and sighed, “You know, I’d hoped you could let this go. Ah well, forgot about the eyes. It serves me right.” A smug grin grew on Dib’s face, “I suppose I can finally speak to you as myself now”.

Now Gaz took a step back. She thought she hated this situation before, but now? Now there was a ghost puppeting her brother around like a robot. A smug, condescending ghost. This day couldn’t get any better could it. 

“GET OUT OF HIS BODY YOU-“ 

“Shhh, come now, you wouldn’t want to wake him up, would you? This is probably the most rest he’s gotten… ever? Your brother doesn’t sleep much does he?”

Gaz hissed through her teeth. There went her only reliable method of getting rid of this pest. “You don’t get to make jokes like that, and who are you anyways? I’d like to know whose butt I need to kick.”

Dib’s body chuckled “Hahaha oh Gazlene, you know you can’t do that. This is still Dib’s body, and you’ve put it through enough abuse over the years, haven’t you? And besides, I don’t even have a name, can’t remember it actually. So let’s get back to you.” He, at least Gaz still referred to that thing as he, began to approach her slowly, like a panther closing in of its prey. “You sat back for what, a month before deciding to help your brother? You claim that you want him back, but you didn’t seem to mind playing games with me, talking to me. I’d rather you make up your mind. Which version do you like better?”


	2. Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaz finally gets some answers.

The tension in the room felt palpable, the figure of Dib leered over Gaz as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. She’d really just given up on Dib like that hadn’t she? Made him feel like she wanted this version of him, that he wasn’t wanted. Her eyes stung and her lip wobbled. What kind of sister was she…

Dib’s body jolted as if struck. The smug aura faded from them, replaced by mild confusion then a dawning horror. What Gaz did not know, was that this whole time Dib Membrane observed from the back of his own mind. This whole scenario was only supposed to be a minor prank. A jab at all the times Gaz dismissed him, a way to freak Zim out. Of course they knew that his eyes turned blue when he got possessed, that was common ghost knowledge. Then his new partner had insisted on this act as an escalation, which sounded fine in theory. But now as he watched his sister, the strongest person he knew, break down he realized this wasn’t what he wanted at all.

“Oh, oh no no don’t cry please. You weren’t supposed to cry. Fine you were right-“ 

Gaz blinked owlishly, as her brother’s captor tried to console her before talking to the air around them. Who were they arguing with?

“-yes okay fine. I know, I know you’re not happy with me FINE.” They moved against the wall, then slumped over before catching themselves. Dib’s body righted itself slowly and turned to Gaz with amber eyes shining.

“I’m so sorry Gaz, that went way too far.”

Gaz looked at her brother, her real brother, in shock. “How are you here? I thought you were-“ 

Dib frantically shook his head, hoping that he could still fix this mess. “NO, no I was there the whole time, we noticed you were onto us, so we thought it’d be funny to prank you. She’d possess me briefly to freak you out.” He paused. “Also did you seriously use my account to ask for help? You do know that I get notifications when someone responds to my comments.”

Gaz slapped herself mentally. Of course her brother set up notices for the forum he spent half of his life on. If this weren’t some elaborate prank, which she was still wrapping her head around, she could’ve lost Dib for good. Gaz then thought about what Dib just told her. “She? The ghost is a she? You were possessed by a female ghost?”

“Yes, I am, in fact female”

Now standing, or floating (?), next to Dib was the figure of a woman. Wild, violet hair floated as she looked sheepishly towards the floor. 

“I should apologize, my behavior was entirely uncalled for. I shouldn’t have said any of that.” She looked towards Dib before continuing, “I want to make it clear that I never wanted to fully possess him, that guy’s whole ‘ruin your life’ shtick was nonsense. My goal from the start was to help Dib, nothing more.”

“Okay, so let me get this straight. You- “ Gaz pointed towards Dib, “ went to an abandoned house, found this ghost who promised to help you for no clear reason, and proceeded to trust it to the point where you decided to prank me into thinking it-“

“She”

“-fine she’d taken over your body. Does that sound about right?” 

“Well when you put it that way…”

“It does sound pretty bad, but I swear I never had any intention of hurting any of you”

Gaz peered skeptically at the two of them, still reeling and still very hurt. “So ‘Mrs. Ghost’, what is your name then? You claimed you didn’t remember. How exactly did you die? How many others did you make deals with?”

The figure looked flustered, her aura flaring as she continued to stare towards the ground. “I- I really don’t remember. I’ve been in that house for about a decade, based on the few people that came into the house. Sometimes I’d scare them, and they’d leave their phones behind.”

“And the deals?”

This made the ghost even more uncomfortable, as she continued to look anywhere except Gaz, wringing her hands nervously. 

“Mostly nonsense. It was the only way I could find to get out of that house. Most of those guys’ wants were impossible anyways. But my intentions in helping Dib are real, he has real potential to be someone!”

She seemed sincere enough in Gaz’s opinion. As much as she hated to admit it. However, the more that Gaz spoke to this ghost, the more one thought stuck in her mind. 

“Dib?”

“Yes?”

“Please tell me you have some sort of name for her. I'm not going to keep calling her ghost.”

“I’ve…” Dib flushed, “I’ve mostly just called her ghost lady, or GL for short.” He looked like he wanted to sink through the floor. 

Gaz rolled her eyes, of course that idiot called her ‘GL’.

Dib hesitated before speaking again. “Gaz, I know that this whole thing sucked for you. I just need to ask one favor. Can she stay? I promise she’s actually a really cool person when she isn’t trying to trick you into thinking I’m trapped in my own body.” He looked up at her eagerly.

Gaz took a deep breath. “Fine. The ghost can stay. But she needs to live somewhere other than _your_ body. I’m never going to look at you with blue eyes again.”

Dib chuckled before clearing his throat, “Of course, of course.” 

Gaz wasn’t sure what would come next, but she definitely didn’t trust this ghost. The amnesia excuse seemed too convenient to be true. She loved Dib, despite what that ghost implied, but she also doubted his judgement. As paranoid as he was at the worst of times, he also had a long track record of trusting the wrong people. She wouldn’t let this be a repeat of those incidents.

No one would take advantage of her brother again. She’d make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a twist! In all seriousness I'm excited to get into the next portion of the story. Stay tuned! Thanks again to my wonderful partner in crime Lazyweekends for all of the help! <3


End file.
